High Valley Trail

Dogs Leashed

Features Historical Significance · Wildflowers

This trail is an old road that eventually ends among a myriad of user trails in the woods. It begins at the end of Smith-Cripe Road and the beginning of it is better known as part of Archer Mountain Trail. You'll pass by a locked gate and then enter a meadow full of wildflowers. Continue past the trail to Archer Mountain by staying on the doubletrack. You'll pass through some blackberries and briefly enter trees before you enter a second meadow. Enjoy the wildflowers that are trying to engulf the trail here. At the NE corner of the meadow the trail will enter the forest again and pass by the remains of an old stone wall - part of the hippie commune. After this the trail seems to continue as singletrack which will branch out into numerous other trails (likely people looking for Archer Mountain Trail which is easily missed). A trail from the middle of the second meadow does head south to join up with Archer Mountain Trail which can create a nice addition to that trail but in the summer the meadow is too overgrown to easily find it.

The meadows are filled with wildflowers including Queen Anne's Lace, but farther into the woods giant hogweed poses a toxic threat.